Type – Musical Biography
If you liked – The Divinyls, Barbara and the Camp Dogs
Amplified: The exquisite rock and rage of Chrissy Amphlett is indeeed amplified at Belvoir St
Amplified at Belvoir Theatre unfolds the life story of iconoclastic rock musician Chrissy Amphlett via a swirl of memories: her own, from her memoir Pleasure and Pain, her band’s and collaborators’, her husband’s, and of course those of creator and performer Sheridan Harbridge.
The show starts with Harbridge inviting the audience to conjure up their own memories of Amphlett, and suddenly we are neck deep in the power of remembrance. Our memories anchor us in this show, and every line spoken and lyric sung invests us deeper in the performance. Looking around the audience, leaning in, eyes shining, it seemed like every single person was lost in their reminiscence of watching and listening to Amphlett at the front of a Divinyls performance.
Chrissy Amphlett was the brash, talented, take-no-prisoners rock singer fronting Aussie rock band The Divinyls through the 80s and early 90s. Especially in what was still a hugely conservative and sexist country, and music industry, she was utterly unique in her unabashed projection of an overtly sexual and aggressive female persona. She was often described as ‘terrifying’, which says a lot about a society that saw (and still sees) no problem in the overtly sexual and aggressive male persona. The hypocrisy and injustice was often highlighted and exploited by Amphlett in her subversive performances and interviews, and her sharp wit and ironic humour was labelled ‘shocking’ of course.
Harbridge’s performance is riveting. She and her collaborators have wisely chosen not to try and imitate or portray a literal figure of Amphlett. Harbridge uses a persona based on herself to channel memories and stories told by a multitude of people, including Amphlett herself, to tell us the story of her rebellious childhood through to her wild rock years, with no whitewashing of the dark side of the sex, drugs, rock and roll mythology – especially for a woman. This is not a performance for kids.
While there is no overt imitation, Harbridge is still able to beautifully convey Amphlett’s unique vocalisations and physicality, subtly injecting the songs with that unique guttural-come-falsetto combination that made The Divinyls so distinctive. With a shake of her head, she gets her fringe to fall in her eyes and with a turn of her shoulders is suddenly Amphlett live on stage.
With musical director Glenn Moorhouse, they have arranged the well-known hit songs in a variety of styles and moods, to follow and enhance the trajectory of the plot from joy to tragedy and back again. Having a four-piece live band on stage is an extra treat, and Moorhouse with Ben Cripps, Dave Hatch, and Clarabell Limonta fill the venue with gorgeously executed songs.
Michael Hankin’s stage design looks like a swirling galaxy of stars on the stage, the centre of which is Chrissy Amphlett. That pretty well sums up her living presence – she was the sun around which others orbited. Paul Jackson’s lighting supports this concept and keeps the spotlight well and truly fixed on her. Harbridge lights up the stage with her own presence, bringing humour, honesty and pathos to her portrayal that is a joy to watch.
Is Amplified Worth Seeing in Sydney?
This show is of course an absolute must-see for anyone (like myself) with memories of rambunctious sweaty beery live Divinyls gigs. It’s also a must-see for anyone who loves seeing authentic, beautifully performed and produced theatre. Even if you’ve never heard of Chrissy Amphlett before, don’t let that prevent you from experiencing this compelling performance. It’s a unique piece of Australian social and musical history, performed with love, wit and extreme amounts of talent.
Just go and enjoy it.
Tickets and Practical Info for Amplified in Sydney 🎟️
Written by Sheridan Harbridge
Co-Created by Sheridan Harbridge, Glenn Moorhouse & Sarah Goodes
Directed by Sarah Goodes
Belvoir Theatre, Surry Hills
Until 8 Feb 2026
Tickets: https://belvoir.com.au/productions/amplified/
